Author's Note: Hello lads and ladies.

Last time we have gotten to the point of the introduction of Legosi's Family dilemma, all of you who have read the manga will know what I'm getting at.

So about the extremely long delay… i've had a few long weeks of birthdays to celebrate, and well afterwards I came down sick. So i'm very sorry for the long wait here, hoping to be back on track soon, but you know how things are sometimes.

I suspect this story to reach the 45 chapter mark, but nothing is set in stone yet. I have some things planned and am trying to find ways how to pull them off. So bear with me.

But we are getting far to ahead of ourselves, now we are here, and I'm excited for what's too come as this year ends. Have a good time reading, and a wonderful day/night afterward.

(The op for season 2 dropped, the hype is real you guys!)

Editor: SuperAverageFoxyboy

Enjoy!

-Portal

Chapter 4: Gosha

Gosha's eyes laid on the leaves blanketing the ground, his broom steadily pushing the small reds and yellows off the pathway. He hummed happily, completing his weekly chore with ease.

When he first moved into this apartment complex, almost ten years ago now, an old skunk would sweep the pathway through the green patches surrounding the building all by himself. But when Gosha saw the old animal struggling to finish the work, he stepped in, saying he would do it. The smile on the skunk's face was all the payment he needed. Even though the old mammal often tried to pay him for his work, Gosha declined with many gestures of thankfulness.

Gosha looked down the now clean pathway, the stone path stretching out before him. He took a deep breath of air, raising his head to the sun with closed eyes. He felt the warm sunshine on his face, a warmth spreading out in his body, from his face to the tip of his tail. Today was a beautiful day.

He raised the broom off the ground, carrying it back to the building. He stepped onto the stairs, holding the railing as he ascended it. You might be stronger than most of your age, but your still old gramps. No need to beat yourself up for holding the railing for support.

When Gosha reached the first level of the balcony, he was greeted by the sight of the janitor, a young mountain goat, pushing his cleaning cart towards the lift beside the stairs.

"Good morning Mr. Darren. A lovely morning today, isn't it?" Gosha greeted the goat clothed in his blue overalls. Darren stopped the cart, smiling at the carnivore almost twice his size.

"Indeed, it is, Mr. Gosha. Mr. Fyui told me to thank you again for sweeping the pathways. He loves how neat and tidy everything looks after you're done."

Gosha smiled when he heard of Fyui's thankfulness. The old skunk would turn seventy-six by the start of next year, having lived a lot of life. To see the aging mammal satisfied was one of the happiest moments of Gosha's day.

"Thank you for telling me, Mr. Darren. I will be sure to have a cup of tea with him soon," he responded, Darren warmly smiling back.

"He'll be happy, that's for sure. Well, Have a wonderful day Mr. Gosha." Darren waved goodbyes and moved past him. With a small press of the button on the wall, a resounding dingopening the elevator doors. Gosha waved at the goat, Darren smiling and disappearing with his cart into the lift.

Gosha walked along further down the balcony until he reached his apartment. An oak wood door, for a large breed carnivore home. Gosha entered, feeling the heat inside warming him up already.

He entered the living room, taking a deep breath in. The summer heat had passed bringing on the cooler temperatures of the fall, foreshadowing the frigid winter. Gosha grabbed an iron kettle from the cupboard, the feeling of smooth metal pleasantly brushing against the inside of his palm being calming. He turned on the sink, the water making the kettle heavier in his grasp.

He looked into the water, small bubbles rising to the top as the stove heated the water within. He opened another cupboard, many boxes of tea flavors being neatly sorted into the space. He sniffed the herb-flavored air, seeing what scent enticed him most today. He reached behind the packets at the front, his hand going deeper into the cupboard until he felt the soft feeling of string in his hand. A few packets of green tea emerged with his hand. He sat them down beside the kettle, waiting for the water to boil. His small pupils drifted off to the dresser beside the couch. He stepped closer, picking it up.

Behind the glass was a picture of a wolf laying on a hospital bed, a small pup in her arms. The mother's and child's eyes were fixed together. A single tear fell onto the glass, pearling the surface and then dropping to the ground. It was tears that always fell when looking at that picture of the two wolves that he loved from the bottom of his heart. Crocodile tears were what she'd call them, playfully teasing him before going in for a kiss…

He kissed his index finger, placing it on the picture. A few more tears dropped onto it, his fingers wet with salty despair.

"I hope you are happy, my lovely Toki. My sweet Leano…"

Through cloudy eyes, his hand softly picked up the next picture, this one showing Gosha himself beside a much younger wolf, not older than ten at the time it was taken. Both smiled into the camera, Gosha resting his hand on his grandson's shoulder. He marveled at how little one could tell that Legosi was a hybrid, even though his facial structure and eyes were strikingly similar to his grandfathers. He was free of the curse that his mother had to suffer, to slowly turn more and more into her father's species.

Gosha looked at the Komodo dragon standing beside his grandson, only a single generation between the two. I hope that you're doing alright, Legosi...


The phone in Legosi's hand connected, the drawn-out low beeping sound signaling that it was ringing. Legosi felt awkward, still sitting behind the school with jack right beside him. The Labrador had convinced, if not forced, the wolf to call home. After arguing for a bit, Legosi gave up when he realized Jack was in no mood to joke around.

He had no idea what he was going say, the sudden realization of Juno not knowing he was a hybrid worrying him beyond all else. He didn't know how she would react to hear of such an unconventional thing. The possibility of her breaking up, not willing to be together with a freak made him shiver to his core. And then he was also clueless about how to talk to his grandfather about it. To call after an eternity of radio silence; to tell him that he had gotten a girlfriend, one that didn't know of his family line. It was unsettling, so many thoughts and ideas shooting and crashing into each other.

The sudden silence from the other side of the line stopped the thunder of thoughts in Legosi's head. He suddenly remembered how long it really had been since he held a conversation with his grandfather. It had definitely been longer than a year.

Suddenly, a soft yet low voice spoke on the other end. "Hello Legosi, How are you?"

Even if Legosi looked like any other wolf, if he and his grandfather would be seen side-by-side, it was painstakingly clear that they were related. Their facial structure, posture, and eyes were already similar enough, but to hear both speak revealed it. Legosi sounded much like a younger version of his grandfather, the low voice being a feature that had skipped his mother, landing on him.

The voice of his grandfather made him remember the last time they had talked face to face. It was a day that Legosi would never forget, even though he genuinely wished to. That awful day of his mother's funeral, the day that he left home to go to school. He suddenly saw the little pup in front of him. Young. Way too young to even process what truly happened. His face was void of emotion as if the information hadn't reached him yet. Sober of emotion, his mind empty of anything to say other than that he didn't want anything to do with this reptile. This reptile that called himself his grandfather. This reptile that took his mother away from him. He was too young to understand, and Gosha to hurt to explain. It was a bitter goodbye for both, Legosi going off to school with Jack, leaving Gosha behind, all alone…

"Hey... grandpa." His muzzle pointed towards the ground, regret etched into his face. It never was Gosha's fault, and never would be.

Jack's hand landed on Legosi's shoulder, a reassuring smile on his face. Don't panic. Everything is alright buddy, he seemed to tell him.His tail laid still as he observed the wolf, who's gaze pierced through the ground into space, his thoughts once again thundering through his head at an alarming rate.

Legosi shut his eyes. The many thoughts and feelings that echoed through his mind started to overwhelm him. The guilt of abandoning his grandfather washed over him out of nowhere. It was something that a twelve-year-old didn't think about. And it was probably something that not even a seventeen year old should think about.

He breathed out, part of the tension following his breath into the air, leaving him space to think about what to say next. It was one of the hardest times to think about what to say, harder than the awkward tension when merely trying to converse with someone in the hallways or on a school trip. In those situations, it never felt like you could really lose something. The only weight to those conversations was the possibility of embarrassing yourself, which Legosi had come to terms with ever since middle school. When people were afraid of you, you learned to deal with a few things. But talking to the only family that you had left… there were different things at stake here.

"Is school doing alright for you? We haven't spoken in so long." Gosha continued the conversation, the wolf still thinking about how to say what he wanted to say without worrying Gosha. He didn't want him to think that there were more things that were his fault. Legosi didn't want to cause more of that under all circumstances.

"It's going good so far, a lot of things happened since we last talked… but I'm doing ok now. How are you?" Gosha chuckled at Legosi's remark, it had been more than half a year since they last talked over the phone.

"It has been way too long. I'm doing good, we are currently in a pause between contracts at the construction office, so I'm more or less on vacation. How are things for you? I hope the allowance is enough for you, I can always give more if needed." Legosi smiled. Still a generous soul.

"No, it's enough for me. School lunches are mostly what I spend my money on, and for me, that is more than enough."

"Good. To hear that you're well is all I could ask for."

Legosi remained as his grandfather spoke the sentence, his eyes shut as he held his forehead. Whatever he wanted, or more so needed to say, he should say now before he could change his mind again. He sighed. He had nothing to lose, really.

"Grandpa… a lot of things happened the last few months, so much to explain that I would more like to speak face to face about… I am sorry for not calling sooner, and I feel awful for leaving you alone like that..." The line went quiet for a moment, a moment in which Legosi thought back to the reptiles face when he told him that he was leaving for school. It was nothing but a bare nuance, nothing but a sliver of emotion. But it was see-able, clearly. It was the kind of sorrow of a man that had nothing left. It remained on his face for only a second, a singular moment in time. The happy face of the proud grandfather returned with no palpable fallacy. A pang of guilt shot to his core, the memory growing clear as if it happened just yesterday.

"School can be hard. You don't need to feel sorry for educating yourself or having fun with friends. As long as your happy, I am too." Legosi slumped forward, his head pointing straight towards the ground. He knew he had to tell him. Jack's advice was no lie. He just didn't know how. Legosi breathed out again, ready to explain the turmoil that he had found himself in.

"Grandpa, I have a girlfriend."

The line stayed silent, Legosi awaiting the reptile's response. It was no big deal for any other family. It was probably about time that one got into a relationship at Legosi's age, but in this family… Legosi worried that Gosha would start to feel guilty even before he told him of the actual problem. Sometimes Legosi asked himself how it would be if he was just born from a pure-blood family. This entire issue wouldn't have even arisen in that case.

"That-that's great! Please, tell me all about her." A smile grew on the wolf's face. Legosi swooned, flashes of the she-wolf going through his mind. The memory of her smiling, of her cute mannerisms, her charming personality, the expression on her face in the midst of-…

He shook his head, the thoughts of her driving him almost insane with a wild mixture of feelings and instincts, some of inappropriate nature.

"She's lovely. She's charming, strong… and alive. She makes me so unbelievably happy."

Jack had to shake his head at the repeated profession of love for the she-wolf, a testament that he had heard close to a thousand times since the two got together. To suggest that the two weren't madly in love would be to suggest that the atmosphere didn't contain air.

"She sounds lovely."

Legosi was deep in memory of the last months. That fountain had become his new happy place. When he was stressed and needed to calm down, he returned to that fountain illuminated by nothing but moonlight.

"She is..." his voice almost cracked at the last second. It was stupid to worry about her leaving him. The way that she looked at him, the way that he looked at her. It was stupid to think that she would react differently towards this than she would towards all other things. Always optimistic towards a brighter future waiting just around the corner.

But the worry was still there. Her reaction was no certainty. It was an educated guess how she would react, but no clear premonition. And that spark of uncertainty was enough to worry his mind out of extreme proportions.

It was too large of a risk not to worry about. He either kept it secret, no longer visiting his grandfather while still running the risk of her finding out that he didn't trust her enough, or he outright told her what he was risking and she rejects him for what he is.

"She doesn't know what species I am, does she?" It was a thing that Legosi's grandmother Toki called dragon's intuition. To know what the other would say before he did. It was a trait that Legosi had in a much weaker fashion than his grandfather.

"Yeah... I've been worried about telling her ever since calling you about it," Legosi admitted with a sunken head, this time the soft whining coming from Jack forcing him to look up again.

The dog had a sad expression on his face, looking at the wolf with a sadness that Legosi could swear only dogs could muster. A way of sadness that made you want to cheer them up immediately. Legosi raised his head until his back was straight, his hand softly squeezing Jack's shoulder. Jack's expression changed to one of gratitude as his tail started to wag slightly again. The wondrous gift of the dog. Just please don't panic, Legosi.

"I think it will be alright. Trust me. She sounds like a lovely and understanding person. I think you are worrying too much." Gosha's remark made Legosi sigh. He knew it was stupid to worry. He truly did; knowing how sympathetic and understanding Juno was. But there was no certainty. He had felt like he was in charge of his life ever since she came along, and now he was once again powerless.

Life used to be nothing but school grades, the boys from 701 and just floating by. Legosi lived his life in a passive stance towards everything. It was something that was a given as he was avoided by all that had the choice. And for the first time since going to school, he lived actively and had something to lose.

"I know, I just can't help it." Legosi looked off into the distance again. The many trees distracting him for a moment from the storm raging through his head. He had to think about how to say it, ease her into it. It was standard protocol. No control meant that all he could do was ease her into the info. Another option didn't exist. He just had to wait for the right moment.

Jack looked at his watch around his wrist. He held his wrist towards Legosi, the wolf reading the clock.

"Well, grandpa, breaks about to end… I'm gonna call you more often, I promise."

"I'm always available if you need help, Legosi. Goodbye." Gosha sounded calm and content. Of all things considered, Legosi had successfully managed to not make him feel guilty. It was a small win, but a win none the less.

"I'll talk to you as soon as I can." With a press of the red icon on the screen, the wolf put his phone back into his pocket. He grabbed the remaining rest of his sandwich he had set to his left and took the last bite. A calming end to a conversation that was long overdue.

"Everything will be alright. Ok, buddy? She will understand." Jack tried to console his worried and stressed friend, the dog's empathy letting him feel the wolf's worry as if it was his own.

"I wish I knew that for sure." Legosi looked at trees in the school's yard. Immobile life that doesn't feel, see, or hear. It only breathes as events and activities pass by, peacefully existing with no conflict or worry. He looked towards the ground, observing a small group of ants pass by. They existed too without feelings that animals could comprehend. They worked for a greater purpose, feeding and protecting their queen, building their colony tirelessly. They lived their lives too without worry, even if every day their lives were at stake. As they could be crushed by an unobservant animal walking by, or caught by something looking for a quick snack.

And what was Legosi worried about? About the totally unrealistic possibility of his girlfriend being hateful about Legosi being a hybrid. Even though she had never shown disdain or any problems with hybrids. Maybe that was why he was so fascinated by insects ever since he was little. These little creatures living with their entire lives constantly at stake. They never seemed to care that their continued existence was in someone else's hands.

Jack took another look at his watch, now only five minutes till club time. He stood up, throwing on his backpack.

"It's almost end of break. Let's go."

Legosi followed suit, absently following the dog's orders. His mind was still under siege by the creeping feeling of uncertainty. Even if it seemed the most illogical thing, his rational mind seemed to have lost the ability to comprehend the truth of the matter.

"Hey!"

Legosi stopped, the stone doorway a few inches away from his face. He could already smell the concrete. It was a pleasant smell to him, the compound that held structures together.

"Order yourself for Rex's sake!" Barked Jack almost, the Labrador's posture one of stress. The stress of worry that the dog so often was subjected to.

"Please… just… Don't panic over anything." Jack's pleading to the rational mind didn't reach Legosi. It was all drenched in mist as every thought trying to steer away from the situation got lost in the fog of his mind, in the end sailing right back to the stormy seas of worry.

"If it were only that simple…" Legosi looked at the ground, the gloom that seemed to follow the wolf now fully settling in. He hunched as he did when he tried to look smaller, so others wouldn't notice him as much. His face was emotionless, that coupled with the fact that Legosi always managed to look tired.

Jack was close to exploding from how the wolf in front of him looked. Ever since meeting him in kindergarten, Jack had always tried to make the gloomy wolf happy and content. It was the cruelest thing for a Labrador to see his friends depressed and unhappy. The empathy of the breed was so severe that they mirrored the feelings of the ones closest to them. That was why all Labradors tried to keep their friends and family as happy as possible. That was how they felt fulfillment and happiness. It had been years that the wolf finally seemed to be happy for more than a few days at a time, and now all of that energy seemed to have vanished. And for what? For what? For him fearing that his girlfriend would reject him for him not being a pureblood?

It was such an unrealistic thing to worry about. Through the time that Jack had interacted with Juno, it was crystal clear how understanding and empathetic the she-wolf was. She was always polite, helping others whenever she could, and never stopping to be kind. It was maybe the most irritating thing about Legosi that Jack could think of. So deep stuck in his own thoughts that he managed to miss all other details.

Jack swung his backpack forward, opening the pockets at the side to grab the object in need. He closed the zipper back up and put the backpack onto his back again.

Legosi's vision caught something brightly colored, his carnivore sight leading him towards it. Jack was holding a neon green ball, a dog breed toy. The mist on the seas of worry cleared, the green balls raising from the ocean to the top, surrounding him. It was a dog's joy, to catch the ball. Jack threw the ball with all the force he could muster towards the pathway, almost losing his footing when his own instincts kicked in as he gave chase. Legosi sprinted forward a bit later than Jack. Both ran full force for the bright neon object that now traveled through the air.

Jack caught the ball when he was suddenly startled by strong arms reaching around him, lifting him up. The two crashed to the ground, Legosi holding Jack around his stomach. They remained for a few seconds, Legosi still fixated on the ball in Jack's hand, his grip slowly strengthening.

"Leh…go...si… can't…breath..." Legosi let go, Jack rolling off of him. He was on all fours, breathing deeply. The strength of Legosi was not one to mess with.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Legosi apologized. The instincts of a carnivore were no joke. It was all fun and games until someone got seriously hurt.

"It's alright… at… least… your feeling better… I hope." Jack rolled onto his back in an exhausted manner, the ball rolling over the ground out of his hand.

Legosi jumped over his friend, Jack seeing his life flash before his eyes as the large shadow flew above him. He landed in the kneeling position, the ball safely in his hand. Not moving anymore.

"Look at these dorks..." A small group of carnivore girls passed by, giggling and laughing at the two canines on the floor.

Jack sat up, looking after the group of girls passing them by. He looked back at Legosi, the previously sad wolf looking at him with an embarrassed expression, his tail wildly swaying from left to right. Jack fell backward with laughter, rolling from side to side. Legosi himself began to laugh as well, glad that Jack was happy after squeezing him so hard.

"Well, are you feeling better now?" Jack asked when he recovered from the sudden attack of laughter. Legosi smiled in response, giving the ball back to the still snickering dog.

"Better yes, thank you. I didn't even know you had a ball." Jack smirked at the wolf.

"My mother bought it for me when I started to go to advanced classes. She said that was how she and dad met, through a game of ball after school to calm down. She says it's good luck and calming for the nerves to play ball after stressful days, and I wanted to cheer you up." The ball disappeared back into his backpack, Legosi pulling Jack to his feet.

"Thank you, I mean it." Jack looked at the wolf. The sad and gloomy look of the wolf had turned into a little smile on his face. He seemed to be distracted at least for a little bit.

"Well then, let's get to club, why don't we." Legosi smiled at the dog even more. Never underestimate the passionate soul of a dog.


Legosi walked down the halls towards Drama club when the fruity smell of wild roses reached his nose. He turned around to see the she-wolf standing behind him. She smiled with a look of complete gratitude in her eyes.

"Here's your shirt back." She held out the neatly folded piece of clothing that Legosi had forgotten he had even given her. She looked energetic, her fur's natural red sheen returning.

"Did it help?" Legosi asked, his tail wagging again. Juno only smiled in response, kissing the wolf softly. She hugged him, squeezing him a bit. His own arms wandered around her, the two standing there in an embrace.

"I slept safe and sound." Her voice a whisper in his ear, a small sign of gratitude. One that no one but him deserved. The two locked eyes, another kiss before separating.

"Ladies first." Legosi motioned towards the Drama club door. Juno giggled at him, walking towards the door, brushing over his cheek while walking past.

"Such a gentleman."

The club room was already full, Sanu standing at the front with all club members in front of him. The couple quickly joined the group, Legosi immediately noticing someone unfamiliar standing beside the pelican. The cheetah police officer held his hat under his arm, smiling at the students assembled before him.

"Who is he?" Came a whispering female voice from his left.

"I don't know, but he's cute." Answered another voice.

"Are we all here?" Sanu looked throughout the crowd, Louis to his right, watching over the crowd.

"Alright, now that we are all here, I need to introduce you to someone." Sanu fixed his glasses, reading the report in his hands, just like he did yesterday.

"Due to the fear of more hunger-related attacks happening in the near future on school grounds, the united academy board has decided to ensure student safety with the hiring of more guards. This here is officer Strightman." The cheetah gave a small and polite wave. The new information caused multiple whispered conversations in the crowd.

"A new guard? That ain't good." Legosi picked up Bill's voice to his right. His voices sounded dark, stressed. He was worried.

"Why, exactly?" Kai whispered to the tiger.

"It means that the killer must've struck hard…" answered Bill.

"You don't believe that's true, right?" Juno whispered to Legosi, confirming that she had heard them too.

"I really don't know. It's all hoping at this point," Answered Legosi. God forbid he strikes again...

"Don't we already have a school guard?" Ells question came audibly out of the first row. Sanu scanned through the pages on the report, looking for one segment in specific.

"Ahem. Even in schools that already have guards or security measures, the hiring of more guards was issued to ensure more safety for teachers and students alike. These are preemptive measures that cause no need for alarm. We believe that with the new curfew and stricter security, we can make sure that tutoring at all schools can resume with no greater influence on school routine." Sanu flipped a few pages back, looking for the correct section to continue from.

"Now, officer Strightman will tell you about new rules, his routes, and overall security." Sanu motioned towards the cheetah, continuing to read through the rest of the report that was only just handed to him.

"Hello, students of the Cherryton academy. Due to the aforementioned preemptive security measures, I will be the new day time guard. I'll be taking periodic patrols on the campus and you can expect me to be making stops at different places throughout the campus. At lunch break I am watching over the cafeteria, in case any of you have anything to say specifically to me, you will find me there. The specific times when I will be where is listed on a chart hanging on the blackboard in administration." The cheetah sat his hat back on his head, tipping it swiftly.

"I won't interrupt your club activities any longer. Have a good day!" Strightman moved past the group, exiting the room. Sanu cleared his throat, reading the rest of the paper.

"The school board wants to apologize for any inconveniences caused by the new rules and security measures. We hope that normality will return in due time, but your safety is our top priority. So we ask of you to stay hopeful in these trying times and trust us, just as much as we put our hopes and trust in you." Sanu lowered the papers and looked at the murmuring students.

"We all know it's going to be a bit stressful, but it could be worse. So please, all of us collect ourselves." The whispering quieted down, the group looking at the pelican. All of the eyes looking at him, worried eyes. They were worried about getting hurt, about the divide between the groups, about being targeted for one's species.

Among their murmurings, Louis finally spoke up. "We are the drama club. We have existed and inspired students and critics alike for years. Let's not let one incident smear the quality of all of our work! I think it's safe to say that this club is the heart of Cherryton, and as such, we will not be the ones who falter in light of these new circumstances. So do stay strong for Cherryton and yourselves!"

The students started to stand upright with deer's encouragement.

"Now, let's start practice."

As the students returned to their respective groups. Legosi looked at the door that officer Strightman had just left from. The hair at the back of his head stood upright. He could feel it. Something would happen soon. Something that would cause a whole lot of trouble...